Bougatsa is derived from the Turkish word bourek, which refers to a type of savoury or sweet pastry made with thin layers of dough. Thessaloniki is famous for its bougatsa variations, including savoury varieties filled with cheese or meat, but I love the sweet, custard-filled Bougatsa with Crema best.
Bougatsa with Crema Recipe
(Bougatsa Me Krema Thessalonikis)
Makes about 18
Ingredients:
12 sheets store‑bought filo pastry
200 g (7 oz) butter, melted, for brushing
icing (confectioners’) sugar and ground cinnamon, to serve
Crema
1 litre (35 fl oz/ 4 cups) milk
240 g (8½ oz/1 cup) caster sugar
150 g (5½ oz/⅔ cup) fine semolina
3 egg yolks
60 g butter, cold, diced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
To make the crema, put the milk, sugar and semolina in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring until it has the consistency of custard. Do not rush this as you don’t want to burn the milk. Take off the heat and add the yolks one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then whisk in the butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest (if using). Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and allow to cool to room temperature.
Lightly grease a baking tray about 32 × 24 cm (13 × 9 in). Layer half the filo sheets on it, one on top of the other, brushing each with melted butter as you go. Pour on the crema, smoothing it out evenly, and cover with the remaining six filo sheets, again brushing the top of each with the melted butter. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut into small squares and dust generously with icing sugar alone or a mixture of icing sugar and ground cinnamon.
Smart Tip:
You can prepare the bougatsa the day before and refrigerate it to bake the next day. It also freezes well, so you can assemble and freeze for up to two months and then bake from frozen. You can also make two smaller bougatsas (bake one and freeze one) or even individual servings.
This is an edited extract from Thessaloniki by Meni Valle published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP AU$50 / NZ$60. Photographer and stylist: Stephanie Stamatis.
